Digging Up The Sandman

Participants:

kaylee_icon.gif diogenes_icon.gif

Scene Title Digging Up The Sandman
Synopsis This scene covers the aftermath of Kaylee and Diogenes investigating the recent attack that touched the Stroughtons household.
Date August 13, 2009

Queens

Queens is the largest in area and the second most populous of the five boroughs of New York City. Located on the western portion of Long Island, Queens managed to avoid much of the physical ruin attributed to the Bomb. However, Queens on whole suffered from something far more significant in the wake of the explosion that tore apart New York — Economic crisis. With much of Queens relying on industrial productivity for its commerce, it was the mass exodus of many businesses from the New York area following the bomb that crippled the borough.

With refugees pouring in from the western portions of New York following the destruction of Midtown, Queens was inundated with homeless of all walks of life. Food shortages, coupled with the collapse of Queens business centers and the strain put on local police only furthered what would become one of the most embarassing mishandling of a crisis situation the city had ever seen. Weeks after the bomb hit, riots swept through New York by the panicked populace, this was felt most hard in Queens, where food riots ravaged the businesses that dared remain open. Shea Statium was used as temporary shelter for bomb refugees, and the riots that swept through Queens enveloped the stadium as well, resulting in a remarkable loss of life in the chaos.

Ever since, Queens has settled down from the turbulent weeks following the nuclear explosion. But while its scars may not be as physical as Midtowns are, Queens suffers just as the rest of New York does, under the shadow of that broken skyline to the west and the collapse of its social and economic centers. Queens is now a ghost of its former self, slowly struggling to recover from the damage done.


Once they are out of the house and she hears the sound of the door shutting, Kaylee's whole body seems to slump she reaches out to put a hand on Dio for support. Her head is pounding, her eyes squint against the throbbing. She doesn't say anything until they are away from the house and down aways. "It's been awhile since I've done that much in a short time." Even her voice sounds exhausted. "Not even the…." She shuts her mouth with a snap before she spills the Pinehearst incident. "I.. think I picked up a lot from their heads."

Diogenes doesn't offer her extended support, and instead only stands still, giving Kaylee time to catch her breath. He watches her curiously; he has never touched the limitations of his ability, mainly because he cannot make full use of it yet. Paralyse one guy, paralyse another, then another - it can get slightly tiring, just as continuously waving your hand would tire your wrist eventually. But to exhaust himself in a manner similar to the telepath? He was yet to get to that… and, quite frankly, he could barely wait for that day to come.

Once they're far enough from the house and Kaylee breaks the increasingly awkward silence, Thomas looks over to the blonde again and speaks up, as well: "What did you get from them? Did you get an image of the Sandman?"

Slipping her hands in the pockets of her jeans Kaylee nods slowly trying not to move her head too much. "Yeah I did.. and other…. disturbing things. I think…" she reaches out to grab him and stop their progress and turn him towards her. "I think I can share the image…If you'll trust me." Her voice is soft barely above a whisper. Blue eyes dart up and down the streets to watch for the cops. She lifts her hands, both shaking slightly with her exhaustion. One hand hovers to each side of his head. "But with how I am now. I have to touch you, " she adds softly, looking him in the eye.

Obediently, he stops and turns to face the blondie. He looks down at her with an expression that is difficult to read. In fact, even if Diogenes looked in the mirror, he wouldn't recognise his feelings. It was a chaotic blend of uncertainty, nostalgia, fear and excitement. Many emotions coalesce and, ironically, none really show up, molding a largely stoic face.

As he mimics Kaylee, looking around for anyone at all - not just cops - he murmurs lowly, "Go ahead." Although it was spoken nonchalantly, he was in truth worried that the telepath wouldn't leave his mind fully intact or that she'd poke around.

Fingers rest gently on his temple, pressing only slightly on each side of his head, as Kaylee's eyes seem to focus on him intensely. She gives him a soft reassuring smile. "Don't worry.. I'm not going to do anything but show you some of what I saw." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She swallows a bit nervously. As her mind reaches into his, the throbbing increases and makes tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, but she tries to ignore the pain.

Then Dio sees the flash of an image. A snap shot in time of the pale woman with intense green eyes, her hand raised to expel that dust. Another couple of images of her straddling the dad and her leaning down to whisper. Then Kaylee yanks her hands away, taking a couple of stumbling steps back. She turns away were he only gets a profile of her face, a hand pressed to her forehead. "Fuck.. that hurt. Did you get it?"

Diogenes does not stumble away, purely because if he submits to the illusion of missing balance, then he truly will lose it and possibly fall over. Instead, he remains standing like a statue, asssuming statues sway in random directions occasionally. His eye-lids flutter, his eyes trying to focus on the world in front of him after the images are branded into his mind. His lips part to open up a path for an incoming sigh. "Well", he finally comments weakly, "That'd be an interesting way to watch porn." Of course. He's still Diogenes.

"I got it. You okay?" The question is phrased in a way that reveals his reluctance to actually inquire the well-being (or lack thereof) of Bonnie.

Her hand waves away his inquiry, as if no big deal. Though when the hand moves under her nose there is a smear of blood. "Well… hell." Kaylee murmurs rather cranky, as she stares at the blood. A couple more careful swipes and she sighs. "Yeah.. Just fucking fine." Wow.. what happen to happy go lucky Kaylee. This telepath just sounds pissy, but then she sees the blood and the pain as a sign of weakness. "I — need to get some sleep," she grumps quietly. "Heads pounding. I can't hardly think through it."

Diogenes notes but does not comment upon the change in Kaylee's demeanour. "I have hardly any idea what you do, or how much it exhausts you or strains you", he admits, looking her over to evaluate her health, to make sure that she can make it home alone. "But you did good. Besides, hitting one's limits is a surefire way of stretching them." Again, he looks about, keenly observing the street to make sure they're still the only ones crazy enough to be up and about. "It's the 'research' phase, now. I'll visit a library tomorrow and check out any news articles about incidents that leave a mother without a son and a father. Clearly, she did not want Lilah because she did not fit in her image of the past."

Glancing over at her partner in this caper, Kaylee flinches as stars flash across her vision. "You think she'll come back for the kid and possibly the husband again at some point?" A simple question. "I mean.. if they fits into her world? Or you think she'll go after someone new?" She wipes moisture out of the corner of her eyes as she continues their journey, though her steps are slower and more careful so as not to jar her head too much. Turning her head to look at him she asks, "Want me to meet you there? We can go over my notes and all. See if any of the other stuff I saw helps." She brings up a hand to rub on her own cheek as if trying to ease the pain in her skull. "Course it would have to be around lunch or something." she smiles a bit, "Since I had a job and a real life beyond this secret covert one."

"Job? Life?", Diogenes asks, looking at Kaylee perturbed as he walks by her side. "What are those?"

Yes, indeed, those were things that escaped Diogenes. He wasted his life, and when he finally decides to grip its reigns, he's breaking into houses and chasing murderers just to have a friendly chat with them over tea and biscuits. "It looked like they were packing up. It's doubtful she's going to find him a second time, and even if she could, the trouble isn't worth it. I think she'll go after a new family." With a soft sigh, he side-glances to the blonde woman, mulling over her suggestion to come along with him to the library. Hesitating, he murmurs, "I guess. Lunch sounds fine. And with you, we can cover more articles. I think that's a good enough reason for me to put up with you." Towards the end, he smirks, clearly switching his Dickery(TM) into second gear.

"Hmm. Good point." Kaylee frowns a bit in thought, her eyes narrow as she gazes out into the darkness before them. "Okay. I'll show up around lunch time." he glances at him, out of the corner of her eyes with a sly smile, a little bit of the true Kaylee coming though. "Isn't that what I'm suppose to say about you?" she teases slightly. "I'm offering to put up with your sorry ass to help get you answers?" Her smile manages to widen into a toothy grin, before it slides away again with a wince. Course she's just as curious about this as he is really, so in a way it's his fault dragging her in. Her tone takes a more serious tone as she continue, "Personally, I'd like to see her stopped, but with the looming trip. I'll do what I can to help you before I go."

Diogenes snorts derisively as Kaylee notes that he is the one who has to be put up with. Essentially, it was a compliment, because that is exactly what Thomas wanted; his goal and aim was to push others away as far away from him as he can, and at the same time bait people into overreacting to what he might say. It was an amusing pastime, to be sure.

"I really don't understand her. She can't really be that desperate to run around and steal families. I mean — I'm a virgin, but you don't see me paralysing blonde telepaths to score." As absurd as it may sound, Diogenes actually had that thought before. It did not involve Kaylee, but he certainly considered using his ability simply to wreck havoc and get what he wants.

The virgin comment makes Kaylee almost trip, but she recovers quickly. She manages not to turn and stare, but instead… "You don't do it, only cause your scared shitless of my employer." Kaylee quips lightly. "Besides, all you'd have to do is ask. Sometimes, you might be surprised." She shakes her head a bit and murmurs. "Unless you get off on that type of thing."

Kaylee pauses at a curb and glances over at him. "Alright.. Here is where we should split up." She squints out into the darkness and does another scan for police, "Good work, Diogenes. It was a pleasure committing a crime with you." she manages to flash him a mischievous grin and a sloppy salute, before step off the curb and heading away from him.

"No, blondie", he corrects her, "I don't do it because it will serve no purpose other than sating an arbitrary need I have. If my goals ever collide with those of your employer, I'll go against him even if the odds tell me not to. Similarly, if our goals coincide, I will seek his alliance." With a smirk briefly flashing on his lips, he adds: "Besides, you're not my type and I'm not your type."

As their stroll comes to an end, Diogenes slows down to a halt and turns to face Kaylee again. "We'll meet in the same library where three of us met. Be there at noon…" In a faux ominous tone, he continues that sentence with, "…or be square." With that said, he would turn around and walk off casually, lifting a hand to run it through his disobedient hair.


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